Reynolds Tobacco Adds New Role to President''s Duties

Source from:  Winston-Salem (NC) Journal 09/14/2015

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. said Friday it is expanding the responsibilities of its president, Debra Crew, by adding chief operating officer to her duties, effective Oct. 1.

The additional management responsibilities will come exactly one year after Crew became president and chief commercial officer of Reynolds American Inc.'s chief subsidiary.

Crew's expanded role includes management responsibility for manufacturing operations and research and development functions. She will retain oversight over consumer and trade marketing functions.

Crew is listed among the top-five executives at Reynolds American. For fiscal 2014, Crew received $150,000 in salary, a $525,000 sign-on bonus, $213,203 in incentive pay and stock awards valued at $8.32 million on the date they were awarded.

"Reynolds American places great importance on its talent-development and succession-planning processes," Susan Cameron, Reynolds' president and chief executive, said in a statement.

"As a result, we have a talented pool of top-notch executives ready to move into key leadership roles for our companies. Strong people and strong brands are the keys to success in consumer packaged-goods businesses, and Reynolds American and its subsidiaries are fortunate to have both."

Reynolds Tobacco announced other management changes, promoting Nancy Hawley to executive vice president of operations and Daniel Herko to executive vice president of research and development. Each had served as a senior vice president in those divisions.

When Crew takes over chief operating officer duties, Jeffrey Gentry will assume oversight over the integration of the Lorillard Inc. operations - essentially the Newport traditional cigarette brand — that Reynolds American bought for $29.25 billion in June.

Gentry currently serves as executive vice president of operations and chief scientific officer. He has announced plans to retire in the first half of 2016.

When Gentry assumes Lorillard integration responsibilities, Thomas Adams, Reynolds American's former chief financial officer, will retire on Oct. 1.

Adams had been one of Reynolds American's top-five executives for seven years before retiring as chief financial officer in March to oversee the Lorillard integration. Enditem